DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/10/2026, 12/03/2025, 09/04/2025, 04/25/2025,10/31/2024, 08/26/2024 have been considered by the examiner.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-2 and 4-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a2) as being anticipated by Nishikawa et al. (JP 2022-22964, machine translation, 02-2022) (Nishikawa, hereafter)..
Regarding claim 1, Nishikawa discloses a combined light diffusion sheet (Figs. 25, 26, 34, 35, 44-49 and corresponding text passages),, comprising: a light reflection layer (70)configured to reflect visible light; and a light diffusion layer(50) provided on a base material (90) which is the same as the light reflection layer(70) is provided (π253), wherein an average light reflectance of the light reflection layer against visible light is 50% or more and 90% or less(π144).
Regarding claim 2, Nishikawa discloses (Figure 44) wherein the light diffusion layer has a first surface provided with a plurality of recesses each having a substantially inverted polygon pyramid shape or a substantially inverted truncated polygon pyramid shape, and a second surface as a flat surface or a matte surface, and the light reflection layer is provided on the second surface.
Regarding claim 4, Nishikawa discloses wherein an average light reflectance of the light reflection layer against visible light is 60% or more and 90% or less (π144).
Regarding claim 5, v discloses (figure 47-49: the light diffusion layer(50 )includes two or more light diffusion layers.(55) (π256)
Regarding claim 6 Nishikawa discloses comprising: the light reflection layer includes two or more light reflection layers (π170)
Regarding claim 7, Nishikawa discloses wherein the light diffusion layer has a thickness of 50 μm or more and 1200 μm or les (π188).
Regarding claim 8, A backlight unit built in a liquid crystal display device so as to lead light emitted from a plurality of light sources toward a display screen via a luminance enhancement sheet configured to increase luminance of the light, comprising: the combined light diffusion sheet of claim 1 (see rejection claim 1) between the luminance enhancement sheet and the plurality of light sources (π87).
Regarding claim 9, Nishikawa discloses a color conversion sheet provided between the luminance enhancement sheet and the plurality of light source and configured to convert a wavelength of light emitted from the plurality of light sources.(π238)
Regarding claim 10, Nishikawa discloses (Figure 25) wherein the plurality of light sources are arranged on a reflective sheet provided opposite to the display screen when viewed from the combined light diffusion sheet.
Regarding claim 16, Nishikawa discloses. liquid crystal display device, comprising: the backlight unit of claim 8; and a liquid crystal display panel.(π2,π87)
Regarding claim 17 Nishikawa discloses. an information equipment, comprising: the liquid crystal display device of claim (see rejection claim 16 .(π2, π87).
Claim(s) 1,3, 8,16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a2) as being anticipated by Sai et al. (JP 2021 073532, machine translation, 05-21). (Sai, hereafter).
Regarding claims 1 and 3, Sai discloses D2 also discloses a combined light diffusion sheet (Fig. 2 and corresponding text passages), comprising: a light reflection layer (26) configured to reflect visible light; anda light diffusion layer (24) provided on a base material which is the different from
the light reflection layer is provided (par. [0019], [0031 ]-[0036], [0053]),wherein an average light reflectance of the light reflection layer against visible light is 50% or more and 90% or less (par. [0037], the reflective polarizing film reflects one polarization, e.g. S-polarization, and transmits the other polarization, e.g. P polarization, thus for unpolarized light about 50% of the light is reflected).
Regarding claim 8, sai discloses backlight unit built in a liquid crystal display device so as to lead light emitted from a plurality of light sources toward a display screen via a luminance enhancement sheet configured to increase luminance of the light, comprising: the combined light diffusion sheet of claim 1 (see rejection claim 1) between the luminance enhancement sheet and the plurality of light sources (π19).
Regarding claim 16, Sai discloses. liquid crystal display device, comprising: the backlight unit of claim 8; and a liquid crystal display panel.(π3)
Regarding claim 17, Sai discloses. an information equipment, comprising: the liquid crystal display device of claim (see rejection claim 16 .(π3).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 11-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sai et al. (JP 2021 073532, machine translation, 05-21). (Sai, hereafter).
Regarding claims 11-15, Sai discloses the backlight unit set forth above ( see rejection claim 8). Sai falls to explicitly disclose wherein the combined light diffusion sheet includes the light diffusion layer including a plurality of light diffusion layers, and the light reflection layer is provided closer to the luminance enhancement sheet than a light diffusion layer which is one of the plurality of the light diffusion layers and which is closest to the plurality of light sources.;, wherein the light diffusion layer includes three or more light diffusion layers, and the light reflection layer is provided closer to the luminance enhancement sheet than a light diffusion layer which is one of the plurality of the light diffusion layers and which is second closest to the plurality of light sources;11, wherein the light reflection layer is provided closer to the luminance enhancement sheet than a light diffusion layer which is one of the plurality of the light diffusion layers and which is most distant from the plurality of light sources., wherein the combined light diffusion sheet includes the light diffusion layer including a plurality of light diffusion layers, and the light reflection layer is provided on a light incident surface of a light diffusion layer which is one of the plurality of the light diffusion layers and which is most distant from the plurality of light sources.;, wherein the combined light diffusion sheet includes the light diffusion layer including a plurality of light diffusion layers each provided on a base material which is different from the light reflection layer is provided, and the light reflection layer is arranged between a light diffusion layer which is one of the plurality of the light diffusion layers and which is most distant from the plurality of light sources and a light diffusion layer which is another one of the plurality of light diffusion layers and which is second distant from the plurality of light sources.
However Sai discloses As shown in FIG. 2, the backlight unit 5 is a direct type backlight unit in which a light source 22 is arranged on the back surface side of the light diffusing plate 23, and irradiates light rays toward the back surface of the light diffusing plate 23. On the light source 22, the light diffusing plate 23 that collects and diffuses the light incident from the back surface side, the Quantum Dot sheet 25 superimposed on the front surface side of the light diffusing plate 23, and the front surface side of the quantum dot sheet 25. A prism sheet 24 to be arranged and a reflective polarizing film 26 arranged on the surface side of the prism sheet 24 are provided, an upper and lower prism sheet, the prism sheet 24 being the brightness enhancement film.
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date to modify the combined light diffusion sheet of Sai as disclosed by Sai wherein the combined light diffusion sheet includes the light diffusion layer including a plurality of light diffusion layers, and the light reflection layer is provided closer to the luminance enhancement sheet than a light diffusion layer which is one of the plurality of the light diffusion layers and which is closest to the plurality of light sources.;, wherein the light diffusion layer includes three or more light diffusion layers, and the light reflection layer is provided closer to the luminance enhancement sheet than a light diffusion layer which is one of the plurality of the light diffusion layers and which is second closest to the plurality of light sources;11, wherein the light reflection layer is provided closer to the luminance enhancement sheet than a light diffusion layer which is one of the plurality of the light diffusion layers and which is most distant from the plurality of light sources., wherein the combined light diffusion sheet includes the light diffusion layer including a plurality of light diffusion layers, and the light reflection layer is provided on a light incident surface of a light diffusion layer which is one of the plurality of the light diffusion layers and which is most distant from the plurality of light sources.;, wherein the combined light diffusion sheet includes the light diffusion layer including a plurality of light diffusion layers each provided on a base material which is different from the light reflection layer is provided, and the light reflection layer is arranged between a light diffusion layer which is one of the plurality of the light diffusion layers and which is most distant from the plurality of light sources and a light diffusion layer which is another one of the plurality of light diffusion layers and which is second distant from the plurality of light sources the motivation being to uniformly emit light across the surface there by improving the uniformity the brightness from the light source.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure can be found in the 892 or below:
US 12105378 B2- o a light diffusion sheet, a backlight unit, a liquid crystal display device
US 20230132319 A1- a backlight module and a manufacturing method there
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TRACIE Y. GREEN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2875
/TRACIE Y GREEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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